The Point at Which Something is Likely to Begin
by sodi
Summary: As he finishes his sixth year at Hogwarts, Scorpius notices a change in his feelings for Rose. Their friendship deepens as he invites her over during the summer, sneaks over to her house, and somehow, they both end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Stop reminding me. **

The Point at Which Something is Likely to Begin

Scorpius Malfoy peeled his collared shirt away from his sticky chest as he walked the grounds of the castle. A tall and blond boy of seventeen, Scorpius was nearing the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts. He was a proud child, wary, yes, of the history his family was known for, but genuinely kind when he wanted to be. He didn't seek out attention but rather it seemed to find him. Scorpius was smart in his own way, crafty and earnest, and he liked to fly. Attempting to loosen the green and silver tie hanging around his neck and cursing the heavy black robes draped on his shoulders, he made his way towards the greenhouses, the sun blazing mercilessly over him.

He loathed Herbology in the afternoons. If he didn't have friends there to share in the suffering he would find the class totally unbearable, especially during the month of May. The heat at this time was horrible and even though the summer months were fast approaching and sure to bring even hotter afternoons, Scorpius was glad to be ending class and starting holiday in the coming weeks.

More than half of the Slytherins were already situated around tables, looking over pods and sprouting plants, while nearly all of the Gryffindors were there as well. Scorpius moved uncomfortably towards a table in the back; the air in greenhouse 3 was still and oppressively hot. Already hunched over a mound of dirt and peering closely at it as though its flowers could up and attack him was Albus Potter.

Albus was, if anything, someone Scorpius trusted wholeheartedly. Where Scorpius was sharp, both in his dress and hair that was always combed neatly to the side and his way of thinking, Albus was careless, most strongly reflected by his untidy shag of black hair. It seemed unlikely that these two people would want anything to do with each other considering their conflicting families, but there was something about Quidditch and a shared knack for drawing unwanted attention that could bring two together in the friendliest way possible.

Throwing his bag on the ground and grabbing his dragon-hide gloves, Scorpius joined him. Before he could complain about the heat or ask what was so special about the mound of dirt under their noses, Rose Weasley pushed herself into the space next to him. Scorpius watched her as she dug around in her bag, taking out books and throwing them onto the work table before diving back into her satchel, her long brown hair whipping around and hitting him in the face.

"Hot, isn't it?" she panted. "I had to run all the way down here from the library." Rose was the impatient but bright cousin of Albus. She was more forward than Scorpius but still had the sense to use tact more than either he or Albus. Scorpius never denied that she often outsmarted him on exams or practical things like that, but knew that her ferocity for learning was just as brutal as his desire to prove himself. He matched her in cleverness and they were better friends for it.

"I forgot my gloves," sighed Rose. She looked at Scorpius and Albus hopefully. Scorpius took off his right glove and handed it to her.

For Scorpius, Rose was every bit amusing. She was frantic and organized at the same time. She worried about the silliest things yet was calm about everything else. Her temper was terrible though. Without warning she would lash out at him, snap at him for putting off his assignments and studies, call him shallow and insensitive. And most of the time, after he would succumb to her baiting and yell at her back or tell her to mind her own business, she would scream that she hated him.

"Oh, well you don't have to," said Rose, looking at the plant and grimacing slightly. "I could just take notes."

"Nope," said Scorpius. "You wanted them so here's one." He shoved it at her again but Rose hesitated in taking it from him. Rolling his eyes, Scorpius took her hand and slipped the glove over it. He felt each space for the fingers, making sure hers were in place, and rolled the cuff over her wrist. He realized what he was doing as soon as he finished. Rose's hand was in both of his. He felt his cheeks go pink and didn't for a second dare to look at her.

"Thanks," said Rose, smiling up at him. Scorpius turned away from her only to catch Albus looking at them quizzically before staring back at the plant. Scorpius didn't understand why he had suddenly felt so embarrassed. It was not as if he hadn't held her hand before. Only last year did he ask her to let him trace the lines on her palm for Divination. And he could remember the year before that when he caught her as she tripped up the stairs. Sometimes he wished she and Albus were in Slytherin. He would be able to see so much of her. And Albus, of course.

"What you have on your work tables are not the friendliest plants," said Professor Longbottom, interrupting Scorpius' thoughts. Longbottom walked up and down the rows of tables, his round face beaming as if there was nothing the students would rather be doing. "The Fanged Geranium will not hesitate to bite and will be incredibly nasty throughout the whole re-potting."

The entire class groaned. Re-potting was always messy and moving anything named "fanged" could only be worse. Scorpius now understood why Rose had offered to only take notes. Albus poked at the plant and what Scorpius thought were just mere flowers before lurched at Albus' fingers, fangs now visible and gnashing. Albus jerked his hand away, sending his glove flying off behind him and hitting the paned wall.

"Nice, Al," said Scorpius, now attempting to handle the plant himself.

"I'd like to see you try it," retorted Albus, looking around for his missing glove. He waved his naked hands in front of Scorpius. "I hope it gets your fingers, mate."

The geranium snapped at Scorpius as soon as he touched it. Trying to balance the small plant in his one gloved hand, Scorpius dropped handfuls of dirt into a new pot Rose pushed towards him. In the split second he looked up to catch her looking at him sympathetically, the geranium latched onto his finger, sinking its fangs into his pale skin.

"Damn!" yelled Scorpius as he tipped the plant into the pot. Professor Longbottom looked up from his plants near the door and smiled.

"Language, Mr. Malfoy."

Scorpius looked around and saw that other students were in the same boat, either flinching from the snaps of the plant or nursing their hands and fingers.

"And good work taking notes Miss Weasley. I hope you're all writing down the behavior of this remarkable plant."

"What's remarkable is how he's managed to keep his job and how I managed to keep all ten fingers," Albus murmured in Scorpius' ear. But Scorpius didn't agree or even answer with a witty retort. At the mention of Rose's notes he had peered over into her journal to find her scribbling away. Squinting slightly, he read her hurried but neat script.

"Hey—" he snatched the journal from under her "—my eyes didn't '_well up_' when the bloody weed bit me. And I didn't '_howl in pain_.'"

"I was just making observations," said Rose, attempting to grab the book back. But Scorpius threw it to Albus who caught it as if it were a golden snitch. Rose rolled her eyes and tried retrieving it again, but Scorpius grabbed her by the wrists and pinned them to her sides.

The leafy and earthy world inside the greenhouse blurred around Scorpius. Not paying attention to anyone, he leered down at Rose, his lips soon forming a smile as she glared, infuriated, back at him. She looked quite pretty, standing there fuming, eyes not even blinking, and Scorpius had to wonder why it never occurred to him before how nice-looking she was. Too much hair, thankfully always tied back after years of complaints (mostly from him), and freckles along the bridge of her nose all seemed unusually appealing. Scorpius gave her another smile. Her expression softened and she gave a small smile back.

"Those of you who would like to help me clean up are welcome to stay," said Professor Longbottom hopefully. Scorpius released his grip on Rose's wrists and looked around. The other students came back into view as did Albus who was staring at both Scorpius and Rose, annoyed. Gryffindors and Slytherins had started to clear out. Looking down at his watch Scorpius noticed that the class had nearly finished. Rose brushed past Scorpius, grabbing her journal and stuffing it in her bag, and walked towards the greenhouse door.

"You guys coming or what?" she called over her shoulder. Scorpius and Albus grabbed their things and darted past Professor Longbottom, barely missing his outstretched hands trying to grab them by the collar and force them to help clean up the mess made by the snarling geranium.

Rose was walking so fast that by the time Scorpius and Albus caught up with her they had approached the castle.

"Why are you walking so fast?" panted Albus. "And while you're going uphill!"

"I really need to study for exams," she said matter-of-factly. She rounded on them suddenly and looked at them accusingly. "And so do you two."

"I," said Albus in mock concern, pointing at his chest, "have been putting in _hours_ of studying. Frankly, I don't know how I'm doing it."

"Oh please, you have not," said Rose, rolling her eyes. She continued to walk ahead of them and into the castle. Albus leaned over and whispered into Scorpius' ear.

"Lucky you're in a different house than Rose, eh? She'd be nagging you all the time."

"Lucky, yeah," Scorpius said back, giving a weak smile.

"Although, it'll be my birthday in two weeks," said Albus, holding up two fingers. "And then I'll have my Apparition license. You won't be the only one then and Rose will have to wait 'til July! Then I'll be able to escape if she tries to tell me something about classes. Just one pop—" he snapped his fingers, "—and I'll be outta the common room like that."

Scorpius nodded as he and Albus turned a corridor, still following Rose. He watched as she headed up a staircase.

"Actually," he said in realization. "You can't Apparate within Hogwarts."

"Exactly!" called Rose from the second floor. She was looking down from the banister at both of them.

"Oh yeah," said Albus. "Must have forgotten. Well," he said, clapping Scorpius on the back. "See you at dinner then."

"Right, see you." And Albus left Scorpius standing there ready go back to his own common room in the dungeons. Scorpius looked back up the stairs and waved, expecting to see Rose waiting but only saw that she had already gone. Scorpius watched as the stairs moved magically from one wall to another and remembered Albus' words. He didn't feel lucky at all.

**A/N: This is my second Scorpius and Rose story. I decided to write it from Scorpius' point of view this time though. Some chapters are going to be on the longer side while others will be shorter, something like an interlude or a brief scene between more important parts. I have an idea of where I want this to go but I'll probably do different things as I go along. I really hope you all liked this first chapter. Please review, I really appreciate it!**


	2. Chapter 2

The remainder of May went quickly. Hogwarts had again entered its exhausting period of final exams and students found themselves falling asleep in the library and in the Great Hall at breakfast, only to stay up late into the night pouring over books and practicing spells. Scorpius was no exception, even though he felt a much lighter feeling hovering over him than the year before when he had O.W.L.s. He was up until at least three in the morning every night and made frequent use of the library when he had a free period.

The exams went by fast enough, though some ended up being quite painful. Scorpius had yet another encounter with a fanged geranium, resulting in two bitten fingers. Charms and Transfiguration were pleasant enough; he had both successfully enchanted a heavy bookcase to sort its own books alphabetically and transformed a litter of kittens into six individually colored balls of yarn, thankfully none which had meowed like Al's had. His Potions exam was little trouble, as was his Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. History of Magic was the dullest and Defence Against the Dark Arts had him sweating as he and Albus threw jinxes and counter-curses at each other. And because he had been putting so much effort into his harder classes, by the time he took his Astronomy exam he was falling asleep over his telescope and had to be shaken awake by Hufflepuff girl he'd never met.

By June he was ready and willing to board the train and journey back home.

Wedged between two third-year Ravenclaw girls bickering madly about who knows what, Scorpius struggled to breathe. He tried to push one gently up the steps of the Hogwarts Express and the other back down onto the platform. They ignored him, however, their voices rising, and he remained stuck there in train purgatory, halfway between the grounds of Hogsmeade Station and a comfortable compartment ready to be filled with snacks and candies. He gave an apologetic glance to those he could see still waiting to get on the train and tried subtly pushing again. Before he could let out a much needed swear word and finally resort to knocking one of the girls off her feet, someone grabbed him by the wrist and pulled. His body lurched forward, causing him to trip up the last step on the train but break through into the narrow strip of train that housed the compartments. He looked up to see the exasperated face of Rose.

"Couldn't manage to find your way out of a crowd of girls?" said Rose, amused.

"Didn't want to be rude, did I?" said Scorpius as he brushed down the front of his jacket and attempted to smooth his hair back in place.

"That's a first," said Rose, smiling slightly. Noticing that his bags were still on the floor he tugged them out of the crowd and threw them over his shoulder. He followed Rose down the corridor of the train until coming to a stop in front of an open compartment where Rose's luggage already sat.

"Where's Al?" he asked, looking around for any sign that he might have been there and left.

"No idea," she sighed. "I thought he might be with you but then I saw you were sandwiched between a couple of first years."

"Hardly," scoffed Scorpius as he shoved his bags over the seat and on the overhead and plopped down. "And they looked a bit older than that, actually."

"Oh, enjoyed it did you?"

"Maybe I did."

Scorpius could have sworn he saw the corners of Rose's mouth twitch upward before she slid the compartment door shut. He smiled inwardly and watched her try to put her own luggage on the overhead rack. Realizing her struggles with keeping her large trunk from falling on her head, Scorpius reached over to help her. Being several inches taller, he was able to easily hoist all of her luggage without much effort.

The compartment door was suddenly wrenched open. Breathless and carrying a large trunk of his own, Albus walked in. He slammed the door behind him, causing the pane of the window to shake and a group of girls passing by to look through it curiously at him.

"Almost forgot half of my things," he panted. "And then Hagrid held me up outside and Hugo stopped me up in the front to ask me something about Quidditch next term. School's just ended!"

"Well, for one, it's your own fault for not packing until this morning and you can't blame Hugo," said Rose. Albus looked at her as he slouched in his seat. Scorpius shrugged at him. He had never been exceptionally good friends with Hugo Weasley, only having had played against him in Quidditch whenever Slytherin was pitted against Gryffindor.

"And why not?" asked Albus.

"Next year is going to be huge for us. Hugo has his O.W.L.s and _we _have got N.E.W.T.s to worry about."

Scorpius looked at Rose for any sign that she was joking. Sure, he was concerned about getting good marks, but N.E.W.T.s were ages away. Judging by her serious expression and the way she was looking at him for some kind of support, Scorpius figured she was as serious as she could possibly be. He couldn't help himself. Catching Albus' eye, he burst out laughing.

"Lighten up, Rose," said Scorpius. Making sure her trunk was secure up over them, he sat down next to her. Rose shot Albus a look of annoyance as he took the seat across from them, only succeeding in making both him and Scorpius snigger more.

For a large portion of the train ride they sat in an almost silence, Albus and Scorpius eating all they could get from the smiling witch pushing the food trolley and Rose flipping through books and nibbling on pasties. Twice they were visited by Hugo, who kept trying to get Albus to talk about different play maneuvers they could practice over the summer. When Albus still wouldn't let on, Hugo left their compartment, hitting Lily Potter on the way out.

Lily slipped in through the sliding door and seated herself between Rose and Scorpius, her back to him, pushing him against the window uncomfortably. Lily was carrying a large cage with a brown owl inside and shoved it into Albus' lap before he could protest.

Scorpius became annoyed with her quickly. She was talking to Rose intently, looking across at Albus whenever he interjected to tell him to shut up and unknowingly nudging Scorpius deeper into the window pane. Pinned against the side of the compartment, Scorpius checked his watch. There was only an hour left until they were in London.

He managed to shift his body and look over Lily's shoulder and through her red hair to catch Rose's eye. She glanced back at him for only a second and continued to nod at Lily's words, but in that moment Scorpius saw her eyes flicker with understanding. When Lily turned to Albus to ask him something, Scorpius took what looked like the only opportunity given to him.

_Please, _he mouthed to Rose. She nodded and said something to Lily Scorpius couldn't make out but thought it could have been of interest for Lily had turned to look at him as if seeing him for the first time, smiled half-heartedly, and left. Scorpius sighed and moved away from the window.

"She's a talker, that one," he said, trying to sound as little annoyed as he could.

"I'm so sorry," said Rose. "She's really nice though." Scorpius tried to be nice himself.

"Yeah, she's was real a treat. The only thing that could've prevented me from enjoying that little engagement was if my head was half-way out the window. "

"Oh Scorpius…"

"Great," groaned Albus, looking at the cage still on the seat next to him. The owl opened one eye and looked at him through the thin bars. "I'll be right back."

Scorpius couldn't believe how his luck had turned. Albus had left, and with any luck would be held up by Hugo along the way. Scorpius wasn't entirely sure why he felt so relieved that he was alone with Rose. Surely it was because the train would be arriving at the platform and he would have to wait until September to see her again. And Albus, of course. He would miss him, too.

It was at that moment, as they sat in silence right next to each other, across from Albus' vacant seat, that Scorpius had an ingenious idea. For years Scorpius had spent the summers alone. It had been without a doubt foolish to ask Albus over or expect to be invited. He once thought that Albus had hinted at him coming over to the Potters', but Scorpius changed the subject before he could feel any elation from the idea. He didn't want to know what his father would say.

To invite Rose over might be slightly safer, he thought. They were good enough friends, best friends even, so surely she would agree to it. Albus could always come too, he supposed. Maybe.

"Rose?" he asked. He pulled his wand out of his pocket to give him something to stare at.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, still leafing through her book.

"Would you like... do you think… do you want to come over… for the summer?" he asked slowly. He heard her close the book she was reading and looked at her. She was smiling.

"Yes, alright," she said. "Are you inviting Albus too?"

"Um, yeah I am," Scorpius lied. Then he added, "But I don't know what we would do, Al and I, I mean. I guess we could fly but that might get boring."

"So do you think I'm boring or something?" Rose asked wryly.

"No, no," he said quickly. "You're just easier to be bored with. We can, you know, talk and stuff."

Rose smiled again.

"Well, alright. Although I don't know how I'd get to your house. I suppose I could ask my dad to take me but—"

"Right," Scorpius interrupted. He didn't need to know why asking her dad might be a problem.

"But I'll definitely try and be there," Rose finished. Scorpius smiled to himself.

"Be where?" Albus had reappeared. He threw himself back onto his seat and picked up a Chocolate Frog.

"Oh, nowhere, Al," sighed Rose. Scorpius stared at her. She had returned to her book. Albus only shrugged and offered Scorpius a Chocolate Frog. Scorpius shook his head and glanced back at Rose. She turned her face only slightly and gave him a small grin. He felt color coming back to his cheeks and looked out the window, catching her reflection and smiling inwardly again.

Much to Scorpius' relief, Albus never bothered to ask what Rose had been talking about. But Albus did ask, and this made Scorpius very happy indeed, if Scorpius would come by a few days before the usual summer trip to Diagon Alley. Scorpius asked Albus if his father would be okay with it and was somewhat relieved to hear Albus say, "He should be, I've only been buttering him up to the idea for ages now."

The train ride was far too short after that. Through the window he had his head pressed up against, Scorpius could see parents and siblings waiting on the platform, soon to shrouded by the scarlet train's steam. He, Albus, and Rose lugged their trunks off of the train, waving off and ushering hurried goodbyes to their other friends, and trying to avoid Hugo as they passed his compartment. Through the crowd they each spotted their families, Scorpius' on one end of the platform and Rose's and Albus' on the other. Albus thumped Scorpius on the back and said goodbye, promising to write, and left.

Scorpius looked around him. His father and mother were still searching for him, talking to each other as they did so. The Weasleys were talking to Albus and a newly arrived Hugo undoubtedly waiting for Rose to reach them as well. Rose was right next to him, attempting to put the book she was reading on the train back into one of her bags.

"I don't know why I didn't pack this back on the train," she grumbled. Scorpius looked back at the distracted Weasleys.

"Rose, why didn't you tell Al what we were talking about?"

"Well," she started, finally cramming her book into her bag. "I thought if you really wanted him to come, you would have said something."

"Oh, right," he said. He turned back to her. "I think your family is waiting for you."

"Yes," said Rose, looking over at them. "They probably are. You're going to write me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'll write you soon."

And before he could think about it, before he could practice the self-preservation he prided himself on, Scorpius took one last look around the crowded platform and, seeing that her mother and father's gaze was blocked by a luggage-filled trolley, swooped down and hugged Rose. She embraced him back, feeding whatever was supplying him with bounties of courage, and he quickly and gently brought his face closer and kissed her once on the cheek, barely letting his lips touch her skin.

Rose let go of him but he didn't wait to see her face. Mumbling a "goodbye," Scorpius grabbed his things and left, darting through people as quickly as possible, wondering when soon would be too soon to write.

**A/N: Thanks to all for the reviews for the first chapter. I wrote one Scorpius/Rose story before this and I'm trying really hard not to make my portrayals of them too similar. I think it's very hard to develop Scorpius one way in one story and differently in another. I hope that by the end of this story my idea of Scorpius will be clear in both my mind and all of yours. I think his character is very cute, no? My characterization of him is that he has enough confidence but is still a little uncertain when it comes to Rose. I also picture him to be pretty dapper and neat because he might care what people think of him. **

**I'm sorry if I made Lily seem a little annoying. I don't think she would be, but I was writing from the perspective of a teenage boy shunted against a window. Also, did you like my comparison of Scorpius and Albus? I think that they would be opposites in many ways. Albus is quick to act and brash while Scorpius is more contemplative. Disagree? Please give me some feedback, thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

The setting sun beamed orange rays into the window and across the stone floor of Scorpius' room. He had been anxiously waiting all afternoon and into the early hours of the evening for Rose to come over for dinner. He had invited her three days after the summer holidays began and now, three weeks into his break, he sat waiting.

Scorpius lived with his mother and father in Wiltshire in a grand manor overlooking large gardens surrounded by an iron gates. The house was enormous. Consisting of many elaborate and striking rooms, the manor was a well-known and once respected wealthy quarters to one of the oldest pure-blooded families in England. Scorpius' room was in the east wing, with one rug adorning the floor and a tall, elaborate window draped by a heavy curtain that was pulled and tied to one side. A writing desk was positioned in front of it. Scorpius' bed was on the other side, taking up a good corner of the room.

Scorpius was at his desk, his eyes unfocused but staring out the window. The light from the descending sun made him squint and he looked down at the mess on his desk. He was usually very tidy. His bed was always made and his clothes neatly put away in his armoire, but for the past few weeks he had felt listless. His mind was preoccupied and he couldn't bring himself to do anything other than mull around.

Looking at the assortment of scattered parchment and quills on his desk, Scorpius sighed. He rifled through them and pulled out a worn and crinkled letter decorated with a neat script. _Scorpius_ was written on the outside. Inside, lines of loopy letters illustrated in ink:

_Scorpius, _

_I haven't forgotten about visiting you. Rather, it has been on my mind quite a lot since you mentioned it. See, the problem is my parents. They hardly know you, in fact I'm not sure if they've ever met you before, and do not get on well with your father (I'm sorry, I'm only being honest). I'm trying, honestly, to get my father to understand that we're friends and there's nothing wrong with a visit between friends over the summer. As soon as my parents say it's alright I'll send you another owl. _

_I'm sorry this letter is so short. Hugo is rushing me and I'm borrowing his owl._

_Rose_

Scorpius was happy when he'd seen a large grey owl flying toward his window. He had opened it timidly and read it slowly, taking everything in. He remembered reading it over and over, wearing the thin parchment, going over her words as if they were going to change meaning, "_I'm trying, honestly, to get my father to understand that we're friends and there's nothing wrong with a visit between friends over the summer."_ His invitation to visit him was anything but friendly. If it was, he would have asked Albus. No, he wanted Rose to come over and spend time with him alone, in his element, in his home. But she didn't give him a choice. Her letter confirmed that they were friends, just as they always had been, just as they always will be. Frustrated, Scorpius half considered writing her back to say not to bother, that it was too much trouble and that he would see her in Diagon Alley anyway. But then he thought again and decided that it didn't matter what she thought. For what it was worth, he didn't even know why it mattered to him if she said they were friends. They were.

Scorpius looked back at his pile of parchment. As soon as he resolved to uphold his invitation, he began to anxiously wait for another letter. He found the second bit of owl post from Rose and read it again:

_Scorpius,_

_I managed to get my father to agree. Please don't be angry but the only way I convinced him was to say that Albus was coming along too. It was rather difficult explaining to Al why you hadn't asked him to come over too and he said he wasn't going to talk to you the rest of the year. I highly doubt that, though, because he asked if you were still going over to his house before the holidays end and agreed to take me Side-Along Apparition and drop me off. Thanks again for inviting me over, Scorpius. We never get enough time together, just us. _

_Please don't forget to write down where exactly your house is so Al won't take us halfway across Europe by accident. _

_Rose_

And Scorpius had written her back at once, enclosing the location of the Manor and offering an apology to Albus. He would have offered to pick Rose up himself if he knew where she lived and was sure that her father wouldn't throw a curse at him the moment he Apparated on the lawn.

He looked back out the window. The small amount of daylight permitted him to make out one of the garden many feet below. Various shrubs and plants decorated the soil and a few vines wrapped themselves around the iron gate. Past the metal enclosing, Scorpius made out an approaching figure—no, two figures— coming closer to the manor. Squinting, he recognized the two people as Albus and Rose.

Scorpius got up so fast his knees hit the bottom of his desk, sending a bottle of ink toppling over and spilling its contents all over his desk.

"Tergeo," he muttered, pointing his wand at the pool of ink. He siphoned it off and left is room. While running down the hallway, Scorpius tried to give the manor more appeal. He pointed his wand at each window as he passed it, mumbling the Tergeo spell and ridding the curtains of their dust. Waving his wand he lit every candle mounted on the walls, giving the dark hallways a comforting light. As he rounded on the winding staircase, he concentrated very hard, still while sprinting, and conjured a long and scarlet rug to spirally flow down the steps.

He was panting by the time he reached the bottom step. While glancing around for one final inspection, he noticed an old and empty vase on a table near the doorway. Screwing up his face as if he were yet again concentrating, Scorpius waved his wand in a circle and said, "Orchideous," bringing down a small bouquet of flowers that he shoved a little too roughly into the top of the vase. Catching his own reflection in a gilt mirror on the wall, he smoothed his hair down and to the side.

He paused momentarily in front of the closed door and drew a deep breath. Before he could hesitate, he stored his wand in his back pocket, pulled the door open, and walked outside. He could already see Albus and Rose waiting at the gate when he walked up to it. They were both staring up at the manor and its many windows, obviously in awe of its size. Albus' mouth was hanging open. When they caught sight of him, they waved.

"We were wondering how to let you know we were down here," said Albus. "Your house is huge." Scorpius noticed that Albus' focus had turned to his clothing. While Albus and Rose were wearing the Muggle clothing Hogwarts students usually wore during holidays, Scorpius was wearing a set of robes. Scorpius very rarely went out in only Muggle clothing, only doing so if he knew he would look conspicuous among a great lot of them.

"It really is nice," said Rose. "Too bad it's so dark though. I can't really see—"

She had paused. Albus was gaping again. Scorpius looked at them confusedly until realizing that instead of opening the wrought-iron gates, he had walked right through them as if they were made of vapor.

"Oh," said Scorpius dumbly. Of course they wouldn't have known that the gates were charmed. "Right. Well, it allows certain to people to go through, you see," he tried explaining. Albus and Rose just stared at the gate behind him.

"Do you want to come inside?" Scorpius asked, not even sure that they were listening. Rose looked at him again and smiled softly.

"Yes, of course," she said.

"Well, _I _don't want to come inside," said Albus suddenly. "Since no one bothered to invite me, _I _am going home."

"Oh, Al," said Rose exasperatedly. Scorpius gave Albus an apologetic glance that he hoped he would understand. It was clear that he didn't.

"Do you want to come inside, Al?" asked Scorpius through gritted teeth. Albus seemed to have taken a step back.

"No, no, I was only joking," said Albus. He turned around and walked a little ways from the lawn, pausing to glance back at Rose. "I'm going to go home and try not to be seen. Everyone thinks I'm over here. I'll be back in two hours to pick you up." Rose and Scorpius waved and watched as Albus Disapparated with a _pop_.

Scorpius led Rose through the enchanted gates, watching her bemused expression out of the corner of his eye as the iron bars became smoke around her. Rose appeared to be trying to look at everything at once, the gardens, the fountain, and one lone white peacock that had pecked its way out from behind a bush. Scorpius could see that she was counting the many windows under her breath and then admiring the handsome grand door they were about to go through. Scorpius held the door open for Rose, allowing her to find herself in the grandeur of the manor.

"These are pretty," said Rose, motioning towards the flowers near the entrance.

"Oh," said Scorpius, feigning surprise. "I didn't really notice them."

"Scorpius?" a voice called. Scorpius turned his attention to the stairs and the approaching footsteps. He saw his father, Draco Malfoy, above him, walking briskly down the steps, his eyes darting back and forth between Rose and his son.

"Scorpius, do you know where your mother is at? And where did that rug on the stairs come from?"

"No, I haven't seen her but maybe she put the rug down."

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy," said Rose. For a second Scorpius forgot Rose was standing next to him. She was smiling so politely, far more politely than he had ever witnessed her doing before, that Scorpius wondered if she was daring his father to say something harsh. Of course, Scorpius had already told his father she was coming over, pleading that he would bite his tongue if he felt the need to insult her or her family in any way. Draco smiled curtly back and offered Rose his hand. Her smile faltering slightly, Rose grasped it and shook.

From behind the staircase came Scorpius' mother, a sleek and brown-haired woman carrying a basket of folded robes.

"Scorpius, can you help me…" she said before noticing Rose. "Oh… hello dear." Scorpius caught the basket as Astoria wrung Rose's hand. "It's so good to meet you. Scorpius goes on about you and Albus Potter all the time, it's quite amazing how good of friends you all are."

"It's not that amazing, mum," Scorpius mumbled, trying to balance the large laundry basket.

"Yes it is!" said Astoria excitedly, grabbing the basket of robes from Scorpius and looking wide-eyed at Draco. "If you knew what went on between this one," she said, still looking at Draco, "and Harry Potter, then you'd agree that it's odd that their children were so friendly." Scorpius looked at her, dumbfounded. There he was just hours before, lecturing his father on tact, when he should've gone straight to his mother and bounded her mouth with Spello-tape. Rose looked as if she were fighting back giggles as Astoria looked at each of them for some sort of approval. Draco cleared his throat, his pale face tinged with a light pink, and nodded behind him to a hallway. Astoria, still smiling to herself, put the basket of robes next to the stairs and beckoned for the rest of them to follow her.

They followed her down the hallway and into the dining room, a long rectangular space with scarlet walls and a mahogany table. The matching chairs were so tall and wide that when Scorpius pulled one out for Rose and she took a seat, she appeared half her size. Scorpius sat next to her and stared down at the silver. His own pale pointed face stared back at him.

"I'll get dinner then," said Astoria cheerfully. Scorpius wished she would stop smiling. It was only dinner.

"We used to have an elf," said Draco, looking at Rose. Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Really?" said Rose, taking a biscuit from the tray Astoria offered her. "I wouldn't mind having one. Dad doesn't either but Mum'll have a fit if you mention it, even if you suggest giving it wages." The rest of the food, ham and potatoes, was soon set on the table.

"'ou'd 'ant a 'ouse-elf?" asked Scorpius, his mouth full of biscuit. He immediately reprimanded himself for forgetting his manners. Rose was polite enough to pretend not to notice.

"I don't see the problem if you're offering payment."

Draco turned to Scorpius, chewed his food thoughtfully, and swallowed before saying, "Are you planning on marrying a Weasley, son?"

Scorpius choked on a piece of ham. Astoria swatted her husband on the arm. Rose sat up straighter in her chair.

"I think he ought to plan something else if he thinks I'd consider marrying a Malfoy, sir," she said. "I can't be dirtying _my_ blood with the bigotry that runs in the veins of _your_ family, sir."

Scorpius, still coughing up bits of ham into his napkin, gawked at her. And after a moment of silence, Draco smiled. The corners of his eyes crinkled and a broad grin stretched across his face.

"Rose, if your blood is the dirt Scorpius wants to roll in then what can I do to stop him?"

Rose snorted into her drink. "Marry him off to one of his cousins? Isn't that some sort of tradition of yours?"

Scorpius sunk lower into his chair as he watched his father and Rose laugh. Their lack of animosity towards each other surprised him, but their joking humiliated him.

"Scorpius, dear," said Astoria, looking at him concernedly. "Did you read the Daily Prophet this morning?"

"No, mother."

"Well I want you to be careful when you're outside now. And you also," Astoria said, looking at Rose. "There have been two Dementor sightings in the last two days."

"Really?" asked Rose.

"Yes, well, these things happen," Astoria sighed. "Now who wants pudding?"

They ate dessert in silence. Whenever Rose's arm brushed past his, Scorpius would look up to see if his father noticed. When Rose grabbed his wrist to check his watch for the time, he jolted back in surprise and dropped his spoon.

"Oh," said Rose sadly. "I'd better be outside for Al. I don't want to get into trouble." She left her seat and pushed her chair in and faced the Malfoys. "Thank you for having me tonight," she said. Draco nodded and Astoria smiled behind her napkin.

Scorpius led her to the door, almost pushing her out of it, not bothering to hide what a foul mood he had turned out to be in. He couldn't help it. First of all, he didn't know she would only be able to stay for two hours. And second, when had everything begun to revolve around dinner? It was hopeless, he thought. Hopeless that he should be having anything other than friendly feelings towards Rose.

"What's the matter with you?"

Scorpius looked down. Rose was frowning up at him.

"Nothing," he mumbled. He looked around the enclosing and through the gates. Albus still hadn't arrived.

Rose moved closer to him and pulled at the sleeve of his robe. "No, there's something wrong. What is it?" Scorpius shook his head and looked around again for any sign of Albus. Rose pulled her hand away. "Well if that's how you're going to be. I really don't see what your problem is. I mean, I thought we were having a good time. I was really worried about what your parent s would think of me but it turned out good enough… awkward, yes, but not horrible. Right?"

"No." Scorpius looked back down at her. "I wanted to spend more time with you. And that didn't happen." Scorpius decided against mentioning how embarrassed he was also.

"Don't be so selfish," said Rose. "We were having an alright time."

Scorpius opened his mouth, but then closed it again. There was no point in arguing, he knew he was being selfish. Instead he opted for something that, while not entirely sincere, would be less painful than telling Rose off.

"I'm sorry," he said. Rose straightened out the collar of his robes.

"I know you're not but I don't feel like fighting with you," she said. And to Scorpius' surprise, she gave him a slight smile.

"ROSE!"

They both turned around. Albus was just behind the gate, his hair messier than usual.

"Mum saw me just as I was leaving," he said. Rose and Scorpius ran towards the gate.

"What? What did she say?" Rose asked, her voice shrill.

"She asked me what I was doing home if you were out. She said I'd better get you."

Scorpius pushed Rose through the bars of the gate, allowing her to pass through. Rose hung back, however.

"Did she say she would tell my parents?"

Albus grimaced.

Rose put her hands on either side of her head and looked at Scorpius. Her eyes were wide and her mouth pulled tight. "I have to go," she said, obviously trying to sound calm. Scorpius nodded and watched her pace next to Albus outside the gate.

"C'mon Rose, we've got to go," said Albus.

"Yes, I'm ready," she said, grabbing his arm. But she let go and turned around. She wrenched her arm through the bars of the gate and grabbed Scorpius' hand.

"Thank you, Scorpius, for inviting me over," she said. Scorpius looked at her fingers as they slipped out of his grasp.

"Yeah, no problem," he whispered. He watched through the bars as she took hold of Albus' arm and disappeared.

**A/N: Alright, sorry if this took awhile. I'm back for my spring semester so I'm pretty busy. I thought about this chapter a lot before writing it. First, I wondered how the whole Rose-Draco-Weasley-Malfoy thing was going to happen. I tried my very best to make the scene awkward but not so "I hate your whole family". Also, how was I supposed to write Astoria? Writing her character is harder than Scorpius and Rose because we know absolutely nothing but that she's Pureblood and Daphne's sister. So I tried to make her a little comical in that she just finds the whole dinner amusing. I know it's moving a little slowly but I promise in the next chapter things will speed up and (hopefully) get better. **

**Thank you for the reviews so far! Please review this chapter, too. **


	4. Chapter 4

Scorpius was once again sitting in his room, on his bed, alone. Rose had left with Albus over two hours ago and was most likely being yelled at by her parents. The idea made him feel awful. As soon as she had left he had sulked all the way back inside and up the stairs, knocking over the vase and flowers along the way and tripping over the conjured rug. He ignored his parents, who tried asking him what was wrong, and slammed his bedroom door shut as a warning for them not to follow. He had been sitting on his bed since.

He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. The image of Rose's smiling face at his dinner table came back to him and he grinned. He lied back onto his bed and rolled over, pushing his face into the bed and groaning. Why, out of every girl at Hogwarts—out of every girl in the country—would he be feeling this way about Rose? She surrounded him. She was in his room, her laugh dancing around him, and it made him sick. _No_, he thought, _this isn't a sick feeling_. Thinking about her pulled at his stomach, made his throat dry, caused his hands to sweat and his head ache. It felt like a sickness but it couldn't be. He wanted more of it.

But did Rose feel this way when she was around him? Did she think about him and smile? Was seeing him the best part of her day, as seeing her was for him? He pressed his face into the mattress harder as suffocation seemed like an easier route to take rather than dealing with any of this mess. If he dared tell her what's the worst that could happen? She could laugh at him. No, she would never do that. She _would _tell him to be rational, that he couldn't possibly be feeling this way about one of his best friends. Or she might turn him down and tell him to shove off and leave him feeling humiliated and foolish. But what if she felt the same? He could tell Rose that he likes her, that everything about her makes him feel on fire, that he wants to run his fingers across every inch of her. _Oh God, stop_.

Scorpius rolled over and stared at the ceiling. His head was pounding –_clack, clack, clack_—he was actually hearing his brain bouncing off of the inside of his skull. _Clack, clack, clack. _It wasn't his brain. The sound was coming from something rapping on the window. He hurried to the window and unlocked it before pushing it open. A grey owl toppled into his room and landed on the floor. It swayed unsteadily, ruffling its feathers and hooting indignantly until Scorpius scooped it up and let it perch on his dresser. He untied the note attached to its leg and opened it with anxious fingers.

_Scorpius—_

His heart skipped.

_Scorpius I need you to come and get me. Don't Floo. Don't bring Fizz either, I made him hurry and fly all the way over there._

Scorpius watched the owl, who must be "Fizz", and decided he could stay there on his desk as he had already bent himself under his wing.

He grabbed his wand and stored it in his robes before racing out of his room and down the stairs. He sprinted past the grand living room where he could hear his parents talking, creeping behind a bookcase and splaying himself against the wall so to make as little movement and shadow possible. The top of Draco and Astoria's heads were just visible as they sat in large arm chairs facing the fire. It was a good thing Rose didn't want him to travel by Floo powder, even though it was very, very unlikely Ron Weasley would have his fireplace connected to the Malfoys'.

Scorpius took at least a minute to open the door without any noise coming from the hinges or knob. He let it close with soft click and ran into the garden before his parents could get up out of their chairs if they had heard. He concentrated on his destination, _Rose's hous_e_, Devon_, hoping that the little bit of what he knew would get him over there in one piece. A gruesome image of half of his body being left in Wiltshire while the other half flailed itself on Rose's doorstep entered his mind. _No, concentrate. Rose Weasley's house in Devon, England. _And for good measure he pictured her face as he turned on the spot and disappeared from his home.

He landed on the grass with a thud and stumbled slightly before regaining balance and looking around. Just a few yards ahead was a large house sitting among several scattered others, all of them a comfortable distance from each other. The house just ahead of him was partially hidden by large trees wrapping around the back. What Scorpius could see included a front door only distinguishable by a golden, glowing orb hovering over the threshold, providing the only light in the darkness. But as he looked again he noticed another faint glow, a quick flickering coming from a window behind some branches of one of the trees. Scorpius jogged to the side of the house, stopping behind a tree and scraping his hands along the rough bark as he craned his neck around and squinted up to the window. There was undoubtedly someone there as a shadow of a human figure flickered across the shade.

Scorpius crept towards the side of the house, looking over his shoulder and to his left and right to make sure no one was watching. The only other presence outside was the soft rustle of the wind as it sighed into his hair. He peered up at the window again and decided that if this window was not hers, he'd make a run for it. He drew his wand from his robes and sent yellow sparks directly above his head. Stepping away from the house, he looked up. What he saw made him smile: Rose was looking down at him, biting her lip and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You made it," she said. Her voice traveled easily through the dead silence and vibrated throughout his ears.

Scorpius kept his wand, the tip now illuminated, pointed by his faces so she could see him.

"Could have told me where you were exactly," he whispered, looking around. "Or at least what to do when I got here."

"Oh, Scorpius, I'm sorry. I realized right after I sent the letter that I should have been more specific!" she cried.

"_Be quiet_," he hissed. "Why did you want me to come get you anyway—and what are you doing?" Rose had thrown her leg over the window sill and was feeling around below her with her foot, the sole of her trainer simply slipping across the even brick.

"Be quiet yourself and help me," she whispered loudly. "Tell me where there's a ledge or something I can lower myself onto!"

Scorpius pointed his wand higher above him and searched the exterior but there was not a ledge, a protruded brick or even a branch from the nearest tree that she could utilize.

"Just jump," he said. It seemed like the most obvious and quickest way to get her down. "Jump and I'll catch you."

"Are you mad?" she hissed. "You'll—I'll break something!"

"Just jump, Weasley, you're not that high." Rose leaned into her window so far that Scorpius could only see her leg dangling above him. The light in her room disappeared and she emerged again, wafting her hand in front of her nose. Her face was barely visible by the light of Scorpius' wand twenty feet below. He put his wand between his teeth and beckoned her with both arms. Rose rolled her eyes as he braced himself and then swung her other leg over and let herself fall. Scorpius caught her in his arms, though not gracefully. Her knees knocked him unsteady and her left foot landed hard on his right. Her arm had flailed and hit him in the mouth, causing the wand to go flying.

"You don't do this often, do you?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Of course not." Her face was so close that even without the proximity of the lit wand he could make out every feature. He then noticed that his arms were still around her waist and that her breath was mingling with his own. He immediately let go.

"You want to tell me why I'm here in the dead of night risking my neck and yours, then?" he asked, rubbing his jaw. His teeth ached like they were wrenched from his gums.

"My parents are furious that I went to your house alone. That I lied to them."

"And me coming and taking you back is going to help?"

Scorpius picked up his wand and muttered, "Nox." The tip went out and they stood alone in the darkness.

"They were being so unreasonable! So we argued and I didn't feel like being shut up in my room for a week. Yes, a week!" she said at the look on his face. "So I don't really want to be here tonight," she continued. "Take me to your house."

"I would've never thought you'd do this, Rose," Scorpius said, amazed.

"You know, me neither."

Rose led him away from the house, together looking like a pair of indistinguishable shadows traipsing through any neighborhood. As they walked, Rose turned to him.

"Do you think I'm being foolish?"

The truth was that yes, she was. But instead of telling her otherwise he stuck out his arm. She took hold and they disappeared with a _CRACK_.

They were back outside the iron-wrought gates. Together they passed through them, the bars magically allowing them entrance. Rose started for the door but Scorpius pulled her back and looked up at the Manor thoughtfully.

"What?" she asked irritably.

"We can't just go through the front door. I can get away with going all tra-la-la by myself, but sneaking you in the middle of the night? Please."

Rose looked at him.

"We're going to have to get up to _my _window," Scorpius continued, sighing heavily. "And unfortunately it's not on the second story."

They walked through the garden, not as concerned about being seen for any other wizarding families in Wiltshire lived miles away. They were also so engulfed in large shrubs and fountains it would have been very difficult to notice them anyway. They reached the wing where his room was located and Scorpius stared up at the window three stories above. There was a sloping roof below it was not high enough to use to climb or jump from.

"I suppose once we get there—" he said, pointing to the rooftop, "You could sit on my shoulders and I can hoist you up?" He looked at her uncertainly. She looked annoyed.

"Or you can just use magic."

Of course. Scorpius smiled to himself. The fact that he was of age and she wasn't really got to her. The bitterness in her voice was satisfying, or adorable, he couldn't decide. He pointed his wand at the window and said, "Incarcerous!"

Thick ropes shot out and slithered their way up the wall. They twisted, turned and pushed their way through the crack in the window Scorpius had left when Fizz arrived just an hour before. The ropes stopped moving and hung there limply in front of them.

"You go first," said Scorpius.

Rose tugged on the rope and when it didn't unravel down on top of her, grabbed hold. Scorpius helped her keep steady as she pushed against the side of the Manor with her feet and tug herself up. They scald the wall together, each using the same rope and Scorpius trailing her by only a couple of feet. Twice her hands slipped and she slid down and hit Scorpius' knees. By the time they managed to crawl through the window (the ropes had bound themselves around his bed posts) their palms were red and throbbing. Scorpius winced as he flexed his right hand. It felt like he had been handling hot embers.

"Do you want me to blow you?" asked Rose. She was sitting on his bed and petting Fizz, who had noticed her arrival and was nipping her fingers affectionately.

"What?" he sputtered.

"I said, 'Do you want me to blow on it?' Sort of makes them feel better." She blew into her red hands.

_Oh._

"Oh." He said dumbly. She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I'll just do it myself, thanks."

She got off the bed and walked around his room, picking up various books and tracing the ropes back to the window sill. He watched her as she gazed out into the dark. Her back was to him but from his position he could see her reflection in the angled pane. She looked tired and unfocused. She breathed in deeply before calling him.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius didn't answer her. He couldn't. Instead, he felt his legs moving on their own accord and walking towards her. He watched his hand as it tentatively touched her back. Rose turned around slowly to look up at him hovering over her. Scorpius placed his hands on either side of the window sill and leaned down.

He kissed her slowly, moving his lips over hers as he watched her eyes close. Scorpius didn't know what to expect. He was unsure if Rose would kiss him back or push him away. The coarse threads of the ropes scratched at their skin as Rose tried to turn herself. She kissed him back and moved her hands up to cup his face.

Scorpius felt elated at her touch. He unpinned his arms, allowing her body to fully face him. At that moment Scorpius felt like an entirely different person. He felt both aggressive and desperate to touch her more. Rose brought her hands to his chest and smoothed his shirt as she continued to kiss him. Scorpius pressed his lips to hers only harder and more furiously.

For a brief second Scorpius wondered what any passerby would think if they looked up at the Manor and into his window; Scorpius Malfoy gripping the waist of Rose Weasley while he kissed her, running his tongue along her bottom lip before letting every reasonable thought leave his brain and fully immersing himself in their movements. Rose broke away and glided her lips over his skin, to his cheek and kissing it lightly before making her way to his neck. Scorpius' body tightened and his eyes snapped shut as he groaned.

Stumbling backwards, he realized he couldn't stand any longer. He pushed Rose off rather reluctantly and, taking her by the hand, led her to his bed, where they sat down. Rose looked at him nervously before closing her eyes and letting him once again kiss her. Scorpius was lost in himself, in Rose, and his actions. His normally calm and reserved demeanor was nonexistent as he pushed her down and lied on top of her. Rose was kissing his bottom lip and stroking his hair. Scorpius looked down at her. It was amazing how he ended up like this, he thought, on top of someone he'd been friends with for years, pressing his body into hers, feeling, he noticed more fully now, her breasts moving gradually against his own chest.

He had uncharacteristically attacked her with more snogging as soon as she responded the way he wanted her to. And when that response was given, he had shown her just how desperately he wanted her.

Rose always had a certain way of bringing Scorpius down. Whenever they had a row, any pride he was trying to hold onto would be sucked away the moment she left the room. Recently he'd been feeling even more conscious of what he was doing and saying when in her presence. And as she lightly ran her lips over his jaw line, he noted that whenever he was being cruel or sneering, sarcastic and wry, Rose managed to leave him dumbstruck. He was never like this though, so physical, but Rose seemed to not care and only encouraged him.

Scorpius held onto Rose's waist before slowly sliding his hands up. Still kissing her, he let his hands roam over her rib cage. He moved them farther up so that his fingers swept just along the sides of her upper body and then, after pinning her arms above her head, he began to kiss her more fervently.

"Scorpius," Rose mumbled against his lips. Scorpius moved away and began to kiss along her neck. "Scorpius, what are we doing?"

"We're snogging," he breathed into her hair.

A sudden sound of arguing voices outside the door pulled Scorpius back. He watched, transfixed, as the door handle turned. The door flew open and there stood three adult wizards all looking very bleary eyed.

"See Weasley, she's not—" Draco has stopped talking. Rose was lying under a frozen Scorpius, her mouth opening and closing silently so that she looked like a very frightened fish.

Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway. His face and ears were red as he looked at Scorpius. His eyes moved to Scorpius' hand resting on Rose's waist. He headed for the bed, his hand gripping his wand tightly as Rose yelled, "Dad, stop!" Astoria was standing behind both men and attempting to look over their shoulders as if she were missing something very interesting.

Draco moved in front of Ron.

"Weasley, just wait—"

"Don't make me curse you and your son Malfoy!"

"Stop it!" Astoria had broken through their outstretched arms. "Put your wand away," she said. It was a little comical, really. Astoria was standing right in front of Ron, her head level with his shoulders, smirking, and with her hands on her hips. Scorpius was standing stock-still now, his eyes on the wand pointed at his face. Rose had moved far away from and looked as if she were about to cry.

"Put it away please," Astoria said again. "And Draco, you can stop looking like an idiot." Draco stopped trying to block Ron and looked down at his pajama-clad body and slippered feet. Ron put his arms in the air and surrendered but didn't take his eyes off Scorpius.

"Rose," he said, still looking at Scorpius murderously.

"Dad, how did you—"

"Window left open, missing owl—your open ink bottle," he said with gritted teeth. He turned to her. "You not in your bed." He was no longer yelling but his voice was cold and dry. "Let's go. Your mother's worried sick." Rose walked slowly towards her father but not before catching Scorpius' eye. Scorpius swore she looked right at him and then quickly at the open window. She couldn't possibly—

"Just like a Weasley," Draco said loudly. "Showing up, demanding to come into _my _home—"

"What does that even mean? What's that got to do with being a Weasley?"

"It means you're still the poor git with his wand up his—"

"_I am not poor!_"

Draco and Ron were arguing again and attempting to seize each other's throats. Astoria had her eyes tightly closed as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Scorpius felt someone grab hold of his wrist and turned to see Rose trying to pull him toward the window. When he opened his mouth to protest she firmly shook her head. Before he knew it Rose had gone through the window and was pulling him down with her. He was halfway out when Ron turned and looked at him, his eyes shocked and furious.

"ROSE!"

Scorpius toppled out, catching one of the ropes just in time.

"Hurry up!" Rose was already on the ground and doing what Scorpius could only describe as weird jogging in place. "Let's go, let's go!"

Scorpius landed on his feet with a thud, feeling the shock hit his ankles. Rose grabbed his arm again. "Come on!" she said.

"What's wrong with you? You need to go home."

"No, let's go somewhere else. My dad'll be down soon." She looked up at the Manor before smiling eagerly at Scorpius.

"No. Definitely no. Did you see the way he was looking at me?"

"Scorpius Malfoy, you better Apparate with me right now!" It was an order. Scorpius looked at her firmly and closed his eyes.

"We're going to your house." He pictured it in his mind again and began to feel the familiar sensation of being lurched into nowhere.

"No, let's go to London!"

His eyes snapped open at her words and the world seemed to stop spinning around him and then change direction. As they disappeared yet again, there was an excruciating pain at his navel but he couldn't hear himself scream.

**A/N: It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been so busy with school and family that writing the two stories I'm working on hasn't been a priority. I wrote this chapter at work but hopefully it's good. I like this story a lot better than my last one and I already planned out this Rose/Scorpius story set when they are twenty-somethings. It's going to be a sequel to this one but I want to write it so it can be read as a standalone as well. Good idea? Now this chapter was fun to write. There are three chapters left and then maybe a short finishing touch. I feel bad for never writing more than seven chapters for my stories but I think my individual chapters are longer than other writers' on here. Sometimes I'll be reading a story and the chapters are so short that it makes sense for the fanfiction to be thirty chapters long. I hope you like this part and hopefully I'll write the next one soon. Just two little things about the content of this chapter: the Incarcerous spell was used for binding an opponent in the books but I thought it would work just as well if you aimed for an object. Also, I know the wizard Apparating decides where to go but if someone says the name of place, you're sure to imagine it. Please review!**


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